Orange County, IN Shrink-Swell Risk
Shrink-swell potential in Orange County, IN
Low
Soil across 53.2% of Orange County, IN comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 2.79% linear extensibility. That's as favorable a county-level reading as this dataset produces - standard foundation practice, pending one lot's own geotechnical report.
What this number does and doesn't tell you
This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Orange County, IN - never a reading for one specific parcel. A local geotechnical report, typically $1,000-$5,000 (around $2,700 typical), is the only way to know what one lot in Orange County will actually do.
Orange County: the real numbers
Orange County's soil reading points toward standard foundation practice as the likely outcome, not the exception. A geotechnical report runs $1,000-$5,000, typically around $2,700. Foundation repair, if a specific lot turns out to differ from the county average, runs $5,000-$15,000.
Where this sits nationally
Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Orange County, IN ranks 1,350 most-constrained nationally, and 52 of 90 within Indiana. Orange County covers 398 square miles and counts 19,824 residents.
Before you act on this
Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Logan County, OH and Hunterdon County, NJ are worth a look for comparison.
How this reading is built, and its real limits · Moisture management: the cheap fix that works on any soil
Elsewhere in Indiana
Every county in Indiana is on this site, including Montgomery County, IN and Union County, IN. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.